The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-12-15
REPORT ON RAILRoAns

:. e first Annual Report of tb, Ill,
,, commissioned Very Intaroot,,-
VI the Railroads of the Count
, u.1t mo nrst annual report of the Tnta,
l HCate Commerce Commission Ioa n.er. ;l,
a% neen made public. 1t fills AZ naoes !tHS ~
UioSGy nos'fy printed matter, in which tba
+ ~ oih nc " the commission since its orior;-,
Ine effects of the new law nnon t5,
5na transportation, and the fauIts 'i"ue anIe
, uclects are treated exhaustiveIv Tha 11i,o
ta, ttUpolL opens with very interesting bis0
Iory OF roods in the United States m ms
i"iitoad mileage of the United States 81
nos' =" SHOWN Is 1886. The humber oS
iS Eio' PItS!ions 11N as represented in this MILEAGE
ioon;, ;,azo' put by tho consolidation or
tinnn eoot ~ l1aus, the number of corpora
corr;oUo Uoi'rolllh8 and operating roads az
carriers t !, reduced to 700. 1t is beIianoJ o
that 200 roads operated bv aSout ~ ieeea yea
hundred corporations as carr;ora nve
subject to the law. The Comm;ss;o'ea e
nas as yet no statistics of its own 'in oofIoo
s slon 10 lay before the public. but onoto5
htEi9 a manual generally accented as 70
Ieli'tDle, the cost of constrnct;on -
ctqulpment of these roads which nIoon
~ at $',25l, 995, ,223, and estimataa es tba
n1n lunaed la debt Of the companies at "a 800 'e
%UU'ooe' Some idea, the Commission.
say OF the -1oon euIits- ost,
extension of railroads they say: 1t is
striking proof of the recklessness of COR
porate management, that 10S roads rep-
rcsenting mileage of II ,O66 are now in
the hands of receivers managing them
under direction of courts whose atten-
tion is thus necessarily withdrawn from
the more appropriate ruling of judicial
bodies, nevertheless the Commission
feels justified in saying that the opera
ton of tho Act has in general been
efficient. In some particulars as we un-
derstand has also been the case with
similar statutes in some of the States it
has operated directly to increase rail-
road earnings, especially in the cutting
Off OF free passes on passengers
trains and putting an end to rebates,
drawbacks and special rates upon freight
! business. Freight traffic for the year
has been exceptionally large in volume
and is believed TO have been in no small
degree stimulated by growing conf
dence that the days Of rebates and
special rates wero ended and that open
rates on an equal basis were now offered
to all. Tho reflex action of this devel-
opmcnt of confidence among business
men has been highly favorable to tho
roads.
The tendency of rates has beon down.
ward, and they have set down perma-
ncnt advances except when excessive
competition had reduced them to
roint at which they could not we'll be
maintained, no destructive rate would
have occurred, but increased stability in
rates has tended in tho direction of
stability in general business. There is,
however, great mischief resulting from
from frequent changes in freight rates
an Ortn IF Of hn
Changes that in some cases it is difficult
to suggl st an excuse for. The report
closes with the following suggestions for
amendments to the new law: "Incident-
ally in this report some need of amend
mcnt has been pointed out. Especially
ought the law, as we think, to Indicate
in plain terms whether the express busi-
ness and all other transportation by the
carriers named in the Act shall be gov
crncd by its provisions. The provision
against tho sudden rising Of rates ought
to bc clearly made applicable to joint
rates Us well as 10 others. Tho Commits
sion ought also to have the authority
and the means to bring about something
| like uniformity in the method of pub
! fishing rates Which is now in great con-
! fusion, and to carefully examine, collect
and supervise the schedules, contracts,
! Cue, required ny lho law 10 DO lieu, dS
well as properly to handle the mass Of
statistical information called for by the
twentieth section. For ull these pur-
poses, as well as for others improperly
iproVidcd for, considerable al lition to
tho force employed with the Commission
will be Indispensable. Other matters,
and particularly whether transportation
, by water shall be made subject to the
Act arc submitted to the wisdom Of Con-
, gross without recommendation"